Curry house in Sussex named best in the country

Restaurant owner Abul Hyder and his team won the national award for their work at Chowringhee restaurant in Brighton.

Chowringhee was chosen as one of the country’s top curry houses, winning in the Best Restaurant Category at this year's Curry Life Awards. Staged by magazine Curry Life, the awards were announced at an event on October 13 at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square in Mayfair.

Chowringhee, located in Wilmington Parade, offers a fusion of Nepalese and Indian cuisine. Previously it could host over 100 but when it reopened following the pandemic, it reduced its capacity to 48 diners.

Speaking after the ceremony, Abul Hyder said: "Winning this award means so much - it presents a great opportunity to the business, enabling it to be endorsed by both new and existing customers.

"We are very excited about the award - it’s for the whole team and our customers and we are delighted with their ongoing support."

Curry Life Awards host Camilla Tominey, Rushanara Ali MP, Nishat Jahan, owner Abul Hyder, Apurba Hyder, chef Razu Ahmed and Lord Karan Bilimoria (Image: Curry Life) Keynote speakers at the awards included Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting.

He said: “Congratulations to everyone for their success at these awards. The hospitality industry has an enormous contribution to make to our country. But there’s something more fundamental about what the hospitality industry does, and what curry houses across the country do, which is about bringing people together, making connections and creating communities.”

Another key speaker was Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, founder and chairman of Cobra Beer which sponsors the event. He said: "The curry industry continues to play a crucial role in British society, contributing over £4 billion in annual sales and employing thousands of hardworking individuals, a vital contribution to the British economy and hospitality sector."

Other guests at the awards ceremony included GB News presenter Camilla Tominey —who hosted the event —as well as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rushanara Ali MP, Charlotte Nichols MP and Jade Botterill MP.